Operation: COMRADES
by Crash Ichimonji
Summary: When the Kids Next Door lose contact with their South Carolina Base and the search team sent there, Numbers 1-5 are sent to investigate. But what they find there is more than they expected, and could they have found unlikely allies? PG-13 for swearing.
1. Part 1

Disclaimer:  
  
I don't own "Kids Next Door" and all its characters, just Dmitri, Mo, and Aki. KND belongs to Mr. Warburton and Mo Willems and those other guys.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
To avoid confusion on which kid is talking (namely if Number 4 or Number 5 are) I'm writing their dialogue in how they would pronounce it/with the slang they use. Number Four's dialogue will look weird because it will be spelled phonetically with his Aussie accent. And as for Number 5, her words will be written in the slang she uses with her 'accent.'  
  
Kids Next Door Operation:  
  
CO.M.R.A.D.E.S.  
  
Children and  
  
Otherwise  
  
Mature  
  
Rebels  
  
Attack  
  
Diabolical  
  
Enemy  
  
Soldiers  
  
The day started off normally as the five operatives of the Kids Next Door filed downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast, dressed for the day.  
  
"Mrm…Morning, Numba Two," Nigel yawned as he saw his fellow teammate Hoagie.  
  
"Morning…" the aviator of the team yawned back.  
  
"Whut time is it..?" Number Four grumbled as went to the cupboards to get a bowl for himself, then sat down in his chair.  
  
"Breakfast time!" Number Three cheered lazily as she did the same as the blonde boy.  
  
"Ugh…It's just aftuh ten o'clock…" Number Five groaned as she met up with her friends. Once all the kids were situated with their bowls, they each took turns filling them with cereal and milk from an overhead distributing device. The usual chocolate-frosted sugar bombs of sweetness poured into all five kids' bowls, and it only took a few bites to wake up all the agents.  
  
"Mm. Nothin' like good ol' Chocopuffs to staht ya day," Number Four said as he devoured his cereal like a ravenous goat.  
  
"Yeah, it always gets me up too," Number Two agreed as he finished up his bowl.  
  
"Oh yeah! Numba Five doesn't know what she'd DO without her cereal in thuh mornin'," Abigail commented as she slurped down the remaining chocolatey milk and then wiped her milk mustache away.  
  
"Alright," Number One said as he too drank the last of his milk. "As soon as we're all done, we'll go over an analysis of our spy-cams over by the Delightful Children's house. Alright, everyone?" he looked over at his four friends for their consent.  
  
"Sure thang," Number Four said as he walked over to the sink and placed his bowl in it. "I'm duhn anyway."  
  
"Me too," Number Five said as she did the same.  
  
"Me three!" Number Three cheered again as she skipped her way to the sink.  
  
"Me Two," Number Two snickered as he followed the same path as his friends.  
  
"Ok, let's head over to the Control Room and-" Number one began until a green alarm light went off throughout the tree-house.  
  
BZZ BZZ! The alarm went off. The green light meant only one thing:  
  
"It's Global Command! Kids Next Door, to the Control Room!" Number One commanded as he and the operatives all headed to the large room and encircled the big display screen. Instantly, a brown-haired girl wearing football shoulder pads and a metal calendar appeared.  
  
"This is Numba 189 of Central Command from the Moon Base, calling Kids Next Door operatives 1-5. Come in," she said.  
  
"This is Numba One reporting. What's the problem 189?"  
  
"We've lost contact with our operatives in South Carolina. We've sent out a search team, but they haven't reported either. We need you and your team to investigate. Watch out though, there's some possible adult activity in the area."  
  
"Roger. We'll proceed at once and contact you once we arrive. Over and out." Number One said as the girl gave him and his team a thumbs-up then switched the screen off. "Alright guys, suit up and gear up. We've got a mission to do," he said.  
  
"Right!" the four kids said as they all headed off to the artillery room for supplies and ammo.  
  
Commander, we're at the target site. Over, a female voice whispered over a radio.  
  
"Roger, we'll meet at the pre-designated rendezvous-point in Section 8," a male voice responded with a Russian accent. "Any clues on your way here? Over," he asked as he approached the tall base with watchful eyes.  
  
Negative. We don't know anything more than we did last time. How long ago do you estimate the attack was? Over.  
  
"From the scent this place is giving off, I'd say…Hm…Maybe three hours, tops. Alright, maintain radio silence unless something comes up. Over."  
  
Roger.  
  
"See you in about 15 minutes. Stay frosty."  
  
Affirmative. Over and out.  
  
"Alright, we'll be approaching the base in a few minutes. Numba Five, weapons status," Nigel asked as he zipped up his blue jump suit and donned his samurai-style helmet.  
  
"All gumball-guns, mustard-blasters, and all flashlight-blasters are all at full charge and are all ready to go," Abigail reported as she set her flashlight-blaster to 'Extra Crispy.'  
  
"Good, Numba Four, how's the equipment looking?"  
  
"Well, let's see," Wally began as he walked up to what was originally a digital alarm-clock. In reality, it was a tracking device/motion detector. It gave distances of how far targets were, or, it could use sonar and display it on an attached, circular screen. "The trackuh-detectuh is ready for use, the net-guns are good to go, and the IR goggles are set up for immediate usage." Number Four then strapped on his night-vision goggles and hung the shoulder-strapped tracker-detector over his arm. He then passed out the goggles and the equipment to Numbers One, Three, and Five. Meanwhile, Number Two continued to fly the Kids Next Door's airship, which was made from a school bus, to the South Carolina KND operatives' base.  
  
"Numba One," Hoagie said as he decelerated the ship's speed. "We're at the base."  
  
"Alright, Numba Two. Do your sensors detect any adult activity within a two-hundred yard range?" Nigel asked as he approached the cockpit and stood next to Number 2.  
  
"Nope, nada, and a whole lot of zip. The place is completely silent. Shall I bring her down on the landing-strip? Or are you guys gonna deploy while we're in the air?"  
  
"If we land, we might be ambushed, if someone is there. It's safer, and cooler, if we exit the ship from above the base."  
  
"Okie-dokie. Preparing launcher-tube," Number Two said as he pressed a switch which opened up a tunnel on the side of the ship, leading out to the base he was now hovering ten yards above.  
  
"Kids Next Door," Number One commanded as he and his three operatives lined up at the tunnel entrance. "Move out!" Instantly, Number Three hopped into the tube and slid down it and landed gracefully on the base's upper deck.  
  
"Let's go!" Number Four said as he too slid to the drop-off point.  
  
"Hup-two!" Number Five said as she followed her fellow operatives.  
  
"Alright," Number One said as he got ready to launch as well. "Numba Two, stay within range, but keep an eye out for anything suspicious, ok?"  
  
"Gotcha!" Hoagie said as he gave Number One a thumbs-up.  
  
"Right. Geronimo!" the bald operative said as he slid to the drop-off point, where he and his three teammates all looked around the forested landscape surrounding the SC base. "Alright, team. Numba Five, take point; Numba Three, take the right; Numba Four, cover the rear; and I'll take the left," he commanded as they all assumed their positions and headed down a covered staircase into the dark, deserted base.  
  
"Commander, we've got company. Over," the female voice reported as she crept along the rafters of the base.  
  
I know, I heard it too. How many did you count? Over, the Russian male voice asked.  
  
"Three or four of them. Over."  
  
Hm…That's what I got too. What do you think, is it…them? Over.  
  
"Could be. It'd be more if they're our targets. What do you want us to do, Commander? Over."  
  
These guys are probably a search-team. I expect them to have night-vision or even IR detectors, just like us. First Lieutenant, find a good sniping point in the eastern block. Second Lieutenant, take the west, and I'll take the south. Make sure, though, that you're behind something thick and heatless. We'll have to knock these guys out and make a run for it. Over.  
  
"Roger. Will do, Commander. Over and out."  
  
"It's quiet..." Number Five said quietly as she led the team down the stairs to Sector 8: the Control Room.  
  
"…TOO quiet," Number One agreed as he searched the ceiling and left walls for any clues.  
  
"Hey, wut happened here? I'm seeing all sorts of debris and shot marks everywhere," Number four asked. True to his words, the place did appear to show signs of some kind of a struggle. Blasts from 2x4 technology weapons left squirts, holes, singes, and dents all around the stairway.  
  
"Must have been a conflict, and our agents didn't go out quietly. But…I don't think they won," Nigel said disappointingly.  
  
"Ooh, how sad…" Number Three sniffed. "Where do you think they are?"  
  
"I don't know. But that's what we're here for. If there are any signs of what happened and/or where our operatives are, we need to find them. We need to-Holy…cow…!" Number One said in astonishment as he and the others saw the Control Room. The entire room was practically pitch black, but through their night-vision goggles, the Kids Next Door saw the atrocity of a mess the room was in.  
  
Scattered all over the circular room were broken wood boards, turned-over furniture, crushed computer-systems, and left-over weaponry and gear that once belonged to other Kids Next Door operatives.  
  
"Oh…My…Gosh..!" Number Five awed at the damage the place had suffered. "It musta been one heck of a fight."  
  
"I know, bless those operatives, they must have fought with all their might…" Nigel bowed his head in remorse  
  
"Whoah…!"Number Four gawked at the sight as well, but soon noticed the few blips on the radar's display scene. "H-Hey! I got something on the radar!"  
  
"What?!" all three of the agents of the KND asked, shocked.  
  
"Th-There's something else here besides…gulp us," he said shakily, pointing his gun in random directions.  
  
"Stay together team! Whatever's here is no match for us. Numba Three, do you see anything nearby?"  
  
"Hm…Well, I do see a pretty red dot pointed at my forehead. Is it a pimple or something?" she asked coyly.  
  
"Red dot? That's not red dot, that's a-"  
  
"FREEZE!" a male voice speaking in a Russian accent yelled, causing the kids to do as they were told.  
  
"Don't move an inch! We've got you surrounded!" a female voice commanded as well.  
  
"Numba Four," Number One said under his breath. "Where are they?"  
  
"I can't see 'em on the radah or in the dahk. These guys must be…"  
  
"…Professionals. Hm…they've got us in a tight squeeze. If they can see us while we can't see them, we can't do much but just do as they say…" Nigel sighed. This was an outrage! He and his friends had been in rough situations, but they were never trapped like this before. Even though he didn't want to admit it, Nigel knew that he had lost the battle before it had even started.  
  
"Well, well, well," the Russian person said as he cocked his gun in the blanket of the dark. "Look what we have here: four armed kids. You with the KND?" he asked almost distastefully.  
  
"Wut's it too ya, ya stupid-" Wally spat back.  
  
"Shut up Numba Four!" Abigail said as she whacked Wally across the back of his head.  
  
"Thanks Numba Five," Nigel sighed. "Yes, we're the Kids Next Door. Now tell us, who are YOU?"  
  
"We are nomads; wanderers, if you like. Your turn now, how many more of you are there?"  
  
Nigel decided he'd try a bluff with these hooligans and said  
  
"Twenty others are in this place, it's only a matter of time before they get here and-"  
  
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Shots poured out of the nomads' guns, spraying small copper pellets at the kids' feet at tremendous speeds, causing them to jump and hop almost as if they were river-dancing.  
  
"Liar!" the female voice yelled back to the four. "We heard only four thuds from you kids coming here. Plus, we've sealed off all sectors since we entered this facility,"   
  
"Now let's try this again," the Russian spoke again. "How many of you are there? And this time, no lying."  
  
"Just us four and one outside the base in our transport ship," Nigel sighed again. How did this happen to him and his team? They were some of the best Kids Next Door operatives, how could they have fallen into this trap without knowing?  
  
"Hm…Alright, we believe you," the male voice said.  
  
"Now," the female voice responded. "Drop your weapons slowly, and then take five big steps back."  
  
"Wut?! Numba One, you aren't gonna-"  
  
"Easy, Numba Four," Number Three patted the blonde boy's shoulder, calming him down. "Let's just trust Numba One, he knows what he's doing. Right?" she asked Nigel.  
  
"Uh…Yes, of course," he smiled falsely. Of course he knew what he was doing, he was losing to a bunch of…of… "Just what exactly are you guys? Adults? Teenagers?"  
  
"We are the latter. We are a team of highly-trained teens whose mission is to protect the children of the world from the adult scum who threaten their freedoms," the Russian responded.  
  
"So wait a minute…" Number Five finally said after staying quiet for a while. "So you fight for kids like us? That means we're not your enemies, right?" she asked.  
  
"Niet!" the Russian male answered.  
  
"We have a common goal, but we're not allies of the KND," the female responded.  
  
"In fact, the KND are our enemies."  
  
"Why's that?" Number One asked inquisitively  
  
"None of your business, kid!"  
  
"Fair enough, but tell us, do you know what happened here?"  
  
"As it happens," the teen girl responded. "We do."  
  
"Really? You have to tell us, this place is-"  
  
"Where your fellow operatives were kidnapped," the girl answered from somewhere in the dark. "Along with the search team that preceded you."  
  
"You saw them!?" Number One asked.  
  
"No, we just got here ourselves."  
  
"We estimate, however," the Russian boy mentioned. "That the attack was somewhere around three hours ago."  
  
"Do you know who did it?" Number One demanded impatiently.  
  
"Ha!" the Russian boy laughed. "This kid's got some spunk! But back to what you asked, we don't know EXACTLY who they are, but we know more about them than you do. Tell me something, though: which one of you is the leader?"  
  
"Why should YOU care?" Number Five inquired.  
  
"Let's just say that I want to speak with him or her leader to leader. Happy?" the Russian answered.  
  
"Fine. I'm Numba One, leader of this troop of Kids Next Door operatives. Are you the leader of your group?" Nigel said as he continued to look around to find the teenagers.  
  
"Da. I'm the commander. Now, put your weapons down and step back," the commander demanded.  
  
"Show yaselves first, THEN we'll lower ah weapons," Number Four said, thinking the teens would actually fall for it.  
  
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! more shots fired out, this time, right at Number Four's feet, causing him to dance like he did before.  
  
"Yeah right!" the girl yelled at Wally. "We're teenagers, you think we're THAT stupid?"  
  
"Teenaguhs AH stupid!" he retorted.  
  
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!  
  
"Whoah! Hey! Ow! Stop that!" Number Four yelled as he tried to avoid getting shot.  
  
"Eat copper, you ignorant little brat! You just wait until…" the commander yelled.  
  
"Commander! Wait!" the girl stopped her commanding officer.  
  
"What!?" the Russian said angrily as he looked over to his subordinate, still concealed.  
  
"Why don't we work alongside these kids. They could be of some help."  
  
"What?!" the KND operatives all said astonished.  
  
"I'm with them on this one," the commander said. "Just what could these idiots do to help us? Don't you remember? They're Kids Next Door operatives! How could they-"  
  
"Switch to radio communication, please, sir."  
  
"Sigh Fine..." he complied reluctantly.  
  
"What's going on here?" Number One asked, but received no answer.  
  
"Pff! Typical teenagers…" Number Five whispered to the group. After a few seconds of whispering, amongst themselves, the teenagers finally spoke.  
  
"Alright," the commander said. "We've decided to help you kids fight this enemy, since you don't know a thing about what's going on."  
  
"Wait! Why should we trust a bunch of teenagers?" Number One demanded  
  
"Because you have no choice BUT to trust us. We have the information and skills needed to track these guys we're both after. You need to track them, right?"  
  
"Well, yes, but-"  
  
"And how are you going to track them. We've already searched the place. These guys only leave behind one clue. Do you know what it is?"  
  
"Uh, um…No," Nigel sighed.  
  
"Scent," the girl said.  
  
"Scent? How can you detect scents for that long?" Number Five asked.  
  
"We can track scents ourselves up to a few hundred meters," the girl continued. "Our ship has special sensors to track things farther than that. But never mind that. Will you let us join forces with you? No strings attached."  
  
"I don't know…" Number Five wondered. "Every teen we've ever met has been against us. I should know, my big sister's one of them too. Well, what do you think, Numba One?"  
  
"Well…Ok. You…teenagers can help us out. But if you guys so much as try something on us, we'll bust your butts so hard, the pain will follow you past puberty. Got it?"  
  
"The feeling is mutual," the commander said. "Alright, troops, come out of hiding." Instantly, the three teenagers hopped out from their hiding places and landed in a circle around the four operatives, visible to them.  
  
"THREE of you? We wuh keeping still because 'a THREE 'a you!? Why I oughta-!" Number four screamed and lunged at one of the teenagers just before Number Five grabbed him by the hood and caused him to fall hard. "Oof!"  
  
"Boy, Numba, Four," Number Three giggled. "You're hopeless."  
  
"So, you three are the vigilantes we've been talking to. As they say, nice threads," Nigel commented as he got a good look at the trio. All three teens wore olive green Russian B.D.U.'s with black balaclavas (ski masks). One teen was at least six feet tall and was built like a body-builder and held what looked like an MP5 sub-machine gun and had a rocket launcher hung over his shoulder, one was normal in size and shape and held an AK-47, and one (presumably the girl) was thinner than the other two, carrying a Famas. At once, all three adolescents removed their masks to reveal their faces. The large one was of African-descent with corn-row dreadlocks, the middle one was a boy with short and messy brown hair, and the third was an Asian girl with long auburn hair.  
  
"My name is Commander Dmitri," the brown-haired boy said.  
  
"I'm Second Lieutenant Aki," the girl bowed.  
  
"And he," Dmitri pointed to the black member of the team. "Is First Lieutenant Mo."  
  
"Does he talk?" Number Five asked as she studied the hulking teen.  
  
"Not much," Aki answered back.  
  
"Well then, I'm Numba One," Nigel said as he held out his hand for a hand-shake with the commander, but soon realized that Dmitri didn't do those.  
  
"I'm Numba Three," Kuki smiled as she waved at Aki.  
  
"Numba Four," Wally said distastefully with his arms crossed and while he was looking away from the teens.  
  
"And I'm Numba Five. Nice tuh…uhm… meet you?" she said as she looked at Mo's serious face.  
  
KSSHK! Numba One! Numba One! Do you copy? Number One's radio buzzed.  
  
"Oh, excuse me a moment," Nigel said to Dmitri, who simply nodded in approval. "Yes, Numba Two, what is it?"  
  
Found anything? I heard some shots and yelling over the radio.  
  
"Well, we found some…teenagers. But they're on our side…I think. Anyway, prepare for dust-off, we're working with these teenagers, since they apparently know more about our current enemy than we do."  
  
Our enemy? What happened to the operatives there?  
  
"They were apparently kidnapped. That's all we know. Just meet us on the roof, ok?"  
  
Roger, be there in ten seconds. Over and out! After switching off his radio, Nigel then turned to Dmitri.  
  
"We'll be heading up to the roof right now where Numba-"  
  
"We heard you," the Russian said. "We have our own ship. We'll meet with you in the air around 200 feet above this base. From there, you'll follow us. Alright?"  
  
"Alright. See you in a few seconds," Nigel agreed as he and his team headed up the stairs they came down. 'Darn…' Nigel thought to himself. 'This is going to be a really different mission. But, I still don't trust those teenagers…'  
  
To be continued… 


	2. Part 2

Disclaimer: I don't own "Kids Next Door" and all its characters, just Dmitri, Mo, and Aki. KND belongs to Mr. Warburton and Mo Willems and those other guys.

Kids Next Door Operation: CO.M.R.A.D.E.S. Part 2

"Hey, guys," Hoagie said as his fellow KND operatives all boarded their ship. "What's the game-plan Numbuh One?" he turned his attention to Nigel.

"Well," he began. "According to this 'Commander Dmitri,' they can literally sniff out the culprits that attacked our men with their noses and their ship's sensors. Numbuh Two?"

"Yeah?"

"Ascend to 200 feet above the base. There should be a ship there; that's the teenagers," Number One said as he sat next to Number Two in the cock pit.

"Gotcha," Hoagie responded as he brought the ship to the said elevation, only to find nothing but clear skies. "Uh, Numbuh One? You said 200 feet right? There's nothing up here."

"Well…Maybe they haven't arrived yet, or-" a Russian voice crackled over the radio of the ship. "I'll answer it Numbuh Two," Number One said as he picked up what looked like a cheese-grater and talked into it. "This is Numbuh One speaking. Where are you guys?"

Right by you, Dmitri snickered.

"What? Numbuh Two check the sensors."

"Ok," Number Two said as he looked on the dashboard, finding a circular screen which was the radar. However, no blips appeared on the green screen. "I got nothin'," he said dumbfounded.

"Huh? Alright teenagers, what's going on here?"

Rotate your ship 180 degrees, Dmitri chuckled.

"Do as he says, Numbuh Two…" Nigel sighed.

"Um, Ok…" Hoagie complied as he spun the ship around in the said amount of degrees. As he and Number One looked, they still saw nothing.

"Darn teenagers! Alright you Red-jerk, where the heck are you guys!" Number One demanded.

Keep looking, the commander said as his ship suddenly materialized in front of the operatives' eyes. The ship looked like a smaller version of a stealth bomber, with shingle-like, black armored plates covering it.

"Uh-! Quit fooling around! We have a mission to complete!" Nigel suddenly became serious once again.

Alright. Try to keep up, Dmitri said. Instantly, the stealth ship rocketed off into the distance, but not without Number Two gunning the engines of the KND's ship after them.

"Second Lieutenant, are you sure this vill vork?" Dmitri asked Aki as he flew the ship through the trail of scents that marked where their enemies had passed through.

"Well, I'm pretty certain. If they took the first search team, then they'd more than likely try to go after another one, as long as they were able to take the team with them," the Japanese girl explained.

"Vell, it's not like ve have any other way to draw these bastards out of their voodvork," the Russian sighed.

"Ah we theh yet?" Number Four yawned as he slouched on the built-in couch of the ship next to Number Three. It had been three hours since the two teams had left South Carolina and traveled at the speed of sound to the west, and they were already past Texas without any change in direction.

"Yeah, we're BORED…" Number Three complained.

"I know, I know," Nigel agreed as he turned on the communications line to the teenager's ship. "Commander Dmitri, how long is this going to take. We've been flying for-"

Get ready, ve're almost there, Dmitri said after a long silence. It's the Phoenix, Arizona Base 

"Did you hear that, team?" Number One told his teammates, who all got up and ready for their new mission.

"Alright! Finally, sum action!" Number Four cheered as he zipped up his blue jumpsuit and armed himself with the tracker-detector and NV goggles.

"Are we gonna get some bad guys this time?" Number Three asked as she did the same along with Number Five.

"It depends on how soon we get there and how far ahead of us these guys were," Abigail explained.

"Numbuh One!" Hoagie called back.

"Yes, Numbuh Two?" Nigel asked as he went over to his friend, already dressed and armed for battle. "I've lost site of those teenagers. Did they ditch us?"

"Let me check," Number One said as he took out the radio receiver and spoke into it. "Commander Dmitri, where are you and your ship?"

Ve're at the base now, ve'll rendezvous with you in Sector 7 sub-section B: the Command Room. Over and out 

"Wait! How do…Oh never mind. Numbuh Two, when you arrive at the base, descend as quietly as possible to drop us off. Understand?"

"Roger, Numbuh One," Number Two saluted.

"Alright then," Nigel then headed to the back with his three battle-ready operatives. 'How does Commander Dmitri know about the Phoenix base's schematics?' he wondered to himself.

"Commander," Aki asked in a hushed tone as she, Mo, and Dmitri ascended the stairway to Sector 7 sub-section B. All three were wearing their IR goggles and were armed with the same weapons as before. "What are we going to do if these kids don't get captured but we still get what we need? Are we going to stay with them?"

"I've been thinking about that. I guess ve should, just to lure these punks out again if needed. Besides, I GUESS ve could always use some extra manpower…" Dmitri sighed. He really was of the same opinion as Aki probably was: he wanted to ditch these kids as soon as possible. However, they needed the kids right now.

"Here we go," Aki said as she cocked her FAMAS and jumped in front of the doorway to the rendezvous point, aiming her gun at what could possibly be there. Her goggles, though, saw nothing but blue and green.

"See anything?" Dmitri asked as he took Aki's right flank and aimed around, only to find nothing too.

"Nope. Nothing-"

Commander Dmitri! Come in! Nigel called over the radio that Dmitri had set up with him.

"Damn it!" Dmitri said quietly. "This brat's going to give us avay!" He then took out his radio and whispered into it. "What the hell do you vant? Vhere are you? Over."

We're in Sector 4. We've found some survivors. 

"Grr…Fine. Be there in a minute. Over and out," he growled. "Alright, guys, move out!" he commanded as the team and he headed over to an elevator to the pre-discussed location. "This is probably a trap," he mentioned to Aki.

"Look at it this way, Commander," she responded. "If it is, then we'll get what we want."

"True. True."

"Numbuh 347, wake up!" Nigel told the unconscious operative as the team crowded around the blonde girl. She was wearing gear similar to Kids Next Door operatives One, Three, Four, and Five, only it was white with blue boots and gloves, and she wore a cream-colored football player's helmet. She carried with her a strange white and red plastic gun of some sort.

Ding! the elevator rang as it opened up near the KND operatives. Exiting it were none other than the three vigilante teenagers Aki, Mo, and Dmitri.

"You better have a better reason to summon us here and break radio silence other than just because you found a survivor," Dmitri growled as he stomped up to the fallen operative. After catching sight of the child's uniform, Dmitiri's suspicions were confirmed, so he looked around the room and saw a ceiling covered in reds, oranges, and yellows. "Never mind. I have a qvestion for you though, Numbuh Vone."

"What?" Nigel looked suspiciously at the Russian teen.

"As I understand it, the KND have a numerical rating system for rating how good of soldiers their operatives are. Tell me, vhat did you and your team score?"

"How do YOU know about the rating system?" Number One inquired, more intrigued now.

"Lets' just say a little birdie told me. Tell me now, vhat did you and your team make?"

"8.7. Why?"

"Ve just fell into the enemy's trap and are being targeted as ve speak," he whispered.

"How do you know?" Nigel whispered back as Dmitri led him over to the soldier.

"Vatch this," he said as he reached into a pocket and pulled out a small vial marked 'Smelling Salt' and waved it in front of the unconscious kid's nose. Instantly, the girl's eyes flung open, revealing that they were a creepy blue similar to a group of kids the KND hated.

"Welcome to the party, Kids Next Door," the girl and the numerous other children hiding on the ceiling all said at once in an eerie tone.

"Kids Next Door, battle stations!" Nigel commanded as he and his operatives began there assault on the mysterious children that all began jumping down to the floor, firing their strange guns' lime-green lasers beams.

"Company fire!" Dmitri yelled as he, Mo, and Aki all formed a triangle firing at the kids in different areas. Instantly, the strange children began falling down from the barrage of stinging 6mm pellets the teens were firing.

"Hey, wait a sec," Number Four said as he ran over to look at a downed enemy. This kid is one uhf our guys!"

"They must have been brainwashed and trained to fight us!" Number One said as he flew up to the ceiling with his rocket boots to hit more enemies with his 2x4 tech laser rifle. "Set your guns for stun! We'll have headquarters fix them after we're done mopping them up!"

"I see you!" Number Three giggled as she shot teddy-bears from her launcher, knocking out kids left and right. "I see you too!"

"Eat mustahd!" Wally called out as he fired mustard beams at kids, jamming their guns and blinding their faces. He then jumped at the incapacitated child soldiers and gave them a good old boot to the head, knocking them out.

"There's too many! We need to get more per shot!" Number Five advised as she tried her best to keep the enemies at bay.

"Try this!" Aki called out as she handed Abigail a canister. "It's a foam grenade. It'll trap anything within a ten foot radius in a blob of stick foam. Use it wisely!" She then ran off to fire her French assault rifle at more conniving children, getting out more of the same grenades.

"Here goes!" Abigail yelled as she hurled the live grenade at a mass of twenty or so kids. In a bright flash of white, the kids were then stuck to the ceiling and to each other, unable to move (let alone fire). "Got 'em!" she yelled out proudly.

"Good work, Numbuh Five," Nigel commented a he shot a kid that nearly got the jump on his friend.

"Whoah! Thanks!"

Meanwhile, Aki was throwing more grenades at the children on the ceiling. Apparently, they were using suction-cup boots to stay up. Within a few seconds, more than half of the kids were stuck together in clumps of gooey masses.

"Commander, almost done here!" she called out to her leader as she returned to firing her Famas at random kids.

"Alright! Mo, It's time to play leap frog!" he called to his African buddy, who ran over to him.

"Leap frog! How can you be thinking of a game in a time like this!" Number Four yelled in an annoyed voice.

"Niet!" Dmitri called back. "Leap frog is the name of an offensive tactic!" Instantly, Mo ran out from behind his commander up to about fifteen feet in front of him, firing at the kids in the way, while Dmitri gave him cover fire. Soon, it was Dmitri's turn to do the same.

"Hey, that ain't half bad," Abigail called out as she witnessed the effective strategy used by the teenagers.

"When this is over, you've got to tell us how you learned that!" Nigel requested as he watched Aki join in the action.

"Alright, will do, Numbuh One!" Dmitri complied. After about five minutes of him and his team performing their tactic, the child soldiers began retreating. "Mo! Get the gun now!" he turned his attention to his subordinate, who brought out a Desert Eagle and aimed it at a kid falling back. He fired it, but it seemed as if the child didn't notice he/she was hit. "Numbuh One! Cease fire! Ve've incapacitated enough of them!" he told the bald operative.

"Are you kidding!" Nigel asked, confused by the Russian's words. "We're WINNING! Why should we-"

"Trust me!"

"But- Oh fine! Kids Next Door, stand down!" he sighed.

"Huh? Why?" Wally asked as he did what he was told.

"Yeah, Numbuh One?" Abigail agreed. "We could get more of them."

"Don't ask me, ask the Red over there," he pointed at Dmitri. By now, the remaining 30 or so soldiers had evacuated the base and left.

"Simple," he explained as he and his team all took off their balaclavas. "Because not every battle is von vith a victory."

"Huh?" Kuki asked.

"What is THAT supposed to mean?" Number One demanded.

"Well," Aki said. "Have you kids ever used a tracker-device before?" she asked as she untied her ponytail that her hair was in.

"Wait a minute," Abigail started to catch on. "You mean that you guys planted a bug on one of those kids that escaped? That's…"

"…Pretty arrogant of you," Nigel frowned. "You should have told us AHEAD of time that you were going to do that!"

"What? And trust you kids to be convincing actors?" Dmitri chuckled. "Don't take it personally, but we couldn't take that risk. Now, what do you say we head back to our ships to track these guys down?"

The KND operatives looked at each other and then cocked an eyebrow or two at the trio.

"Ok!" Number Three smiled.

"Cruddy teenagahs think theh so smaht…" Wally grumbled.

"Next time, TELL us before you do something like that, ok?" Number Five sighed.

"Of course," Aki shrugged as she and her fellow teenagers all filed out of the base.

"Oh, we'll be calling headquarters to take these soldiers we captured back to the Moon. So, lay low," Nigel called over to Dmitri.

"Don't have to tell me twice. See you in a few minutes, same altitude above the base, Ok?" he confirmed.

"Right. See you," Number One found himself waving goodbye to the teenagers. He then took out what looked like a deodorant bar and opened it up. It was actually a communicator to Global Command. "This is Numbuh One at the Phoenix Kids Next Door base. Global Command, do you copy?"

Roger, Numbuh One, this is Global Command, a boy with a targeting goggle responded.

"We've managed to rescue some of our operatives from the enemy that we've lost contact with. They were brainwashed and turned into soldiers for some enemy force. They just attacked us, but left. We…planted a tracking bug on them and will be following them."

Roger, a retrieval squad will be there in a few minutes, the boy said as the connection was then severed.

"Alright team, a retrieval squad will be here in a few minutes, so stay sharp just in case," Nigel told his team as they rounded up unconscious children and lumped them all together in groups of ten and tied them up with super-strong bindings made of dental floss.

"Numbuh 86, um, good to see you," Number One said shakily as the high-ranking girl marched in with her retrieval team. The redheaded Irish girl then walked up to Number One and eyed him good.

"Well, well, well," she grinned sarcastically. "Looks like a boy finally did something right for once. Of course, Numbuhs Three and Five were here to keep you two boys in line, hmm?"

"Uh- Well, actually," Nigel whispered to her. "We had help from a mutual friend too."

"What KIND of friend?"

"The teenage type."

"WHAT! How COULD you! This is the KIDS Next Door! We don't-mmph-!" she was suddenly silenced by Number One's hand as he hushed her.

"Ssshhhh! There're on OUR side!" he whispered to her as he took his hand off 86's mouth.

"Just what do you mean, 'our side'?"

"I mean that they fight for kids' rights too. They're some sort of vigilantes."

"And why should we trust them?"

"Because they've got more information on our enemy than we do. Don't worry, they're completely trustable."

Number 86 was taken back by this comment. "If I get a call from you saying that you've been double-crossed by those retched adolescents, I won't help you out," she said as she reached into her pocket and took out a small black device the size of a dime. "Here, put this behind your ear," she said as she handed it to Nigel.

"What's it for?"

"It's a tracker. So, we can know where you and your team are. Don't lose it now."

"Er…Fine," Number One complied as he placed the device behind his left ear. "Alright, operatives, have you loaded up the last of the soldiers?" Number 86 called out to her team as they took the last group of incapacitated children upstairs to the ship the team came on.

"Yes, ma'am. This is our last one," a boy operative said as he carried the gooey mass of children up the stairs. "Good, I'll be there in a minute. Now remember, Numbuh One."

"Uh, yes?"

"Keep your eyes on these teenagers, they could still turn on you and your team," she frowned at him as she ran up the stairs with her team.

"Right…" Nigel said as he faced his team. "Alright, team, we need to follow our enemies through the help of the teenagers. Are you all ready for dust-off?"

"Uh-huh," Number Three nodded.

"Yup," Wally shrugged.

"Same here," Abigail answered.

"Alright, let's go, team," Number One said as he and his team headed up a different set of stairs to the roof of the base.

"Do you think that those operatives will betray us, Commander?" Aki asked Dmitri as he sat at the controls for their hovering ship. The ship was currently in stealth mode, evading the KND sensors and radar.

"Hard to say. Vait, the retrieval team is leaving!" he suddenly saw the rocket transport ship hover away from the base and head out of the atmosphere. "Vell, perhaps they von't. For now at least." The Russian then picked up the radio and opened up a channel with the other Kids Next Door ship. Looking at a zoomed-in screen of the roof, the commander saw the four KND operatives load up in their ship. He then spoke through the communication line to the ship.

"This is Commander Dmitri calling. Are all KND members aboard your ship? Over."

Roger that, Hoagie said.

We're leaving the tracking to you guys, Nigel reported back to the teens.

"Good. Our GPS systems are showing us that the enemy is heading south, and at an incredible speed. Over."

Roger, lead the way, Commander. 

"Alright. Over and out. Aki, Mo, better get buckled up," Dmitri advised his comrades as they both situated themselves in the two seats located behind their commander.

"I can feel it, I bet we're gonna finally find those bastards and kick their asses for messing with the kids of the world!" Aki cheered.

"Me too, I think this is vhere it all changes," Dmitri agreed.

To be continued…


	3. Part 3

Disclaimer: I don't own "Kids Next Door" and all its characters, just Dmitri, Mo, and Aki. KND belongs to Mr. Warburton and Mo Willems and those other guys. Second Disclaimer: I don't own the copyrighted names listed here. They all belong to their respected owners.

Kids Next Door Operation: CO.M.R.A.D.E.S. Part 3

Several hours had passed since the Kids Next Door and their teenage allies had left the Phoenix base in North America, and not much had happened. The groups were over New Guinea when Number One decided he'd break the silence that had been permeating between the teens and the KND operatives. "Say, Commander Dmitri," he asked over the radio. "Tell me something about you guys. Where did you learn how to fight like you do now?" Dmitri responded.

Erm….Vell, it's a long story, the Russian boy sighed.

"We've got all the time in the world," Nigel said back.

"Yeah, plus," Hoagie added in. "We could all use some entertainment for now."

(Alright then, I suppose it'd be ok to tell you guys about us. Vell, to begin vith, I vas born in Russia during its last few years as the USSR-)

"Wait a minuht," Number Four interrupted. "You're from Russia?"

"Duh, Numba Four!" Number Three giggled.

(Vhere did you think I was from? Sveden?)

"Well…Um, yeah…" Wally admitted as he blushed. For several seconds, the entire group of Kids Next Door operatives busted out laughing.

"So, are you a communist?" Nigel then asked.

(Niet. That is a misconception many Americans have vith us Russians. Mother Russia herself has been capitalist and democratic for over a decade now, so, no, I'm not a Red.)

"Uh- ! Sorry about that. So, go on with your story."

(Vell, anyvay. My mother died vhen I vas young, so my father raised me most of the time. He vas a Spetsnaz; a Russian special forces member, and he taught me survival skills like hunting, surviving in the cold, and even how to use guns.)

"Wow, that's pretty cool," Number One said, astounded at Dmitri's tale. "Yeah," Number Five added. "Who would have thought that adults had some HELPFUL things to teach us kids."

(Hey, that's nothing. I got a stricter training from my family than both of these guys did when I was little.) Aki said as she took over talking with the operatives. (I was trained at the age of three in the art of Ninjitsu by my grandparents in Tokyo for half a year at a time, and I still do to this day.)

"You're from Tokyo?" Number Three gasped. "Me too!"

"Wait, if you're from Japan also," Number Four spoke again. "Why don't you have an accent like Numbuh Three does?"

(Well, we moved to San Francisco when I was seven, so I'm used to talking in an American accent. But like I said, I still train with my grandparents for half of the year.) Aki beamed.

"_Cool!_" the kids all awed.

"And what about Mo?" Number Five asked.

(Ah, yes,) Dmitri said as he returned to the radio. (Mo's father vas a revolutionary in the Congo, and he taught Mo all about forest-combat and guerilla varfare.)

"So, how long have you guys been a team?" Nigel questioned. "You three seem like you've been doing this vigilante thing for quite some time."

(Mo and I were always a team ever since ve vere each five. Aki didn't join until ve vere around tvelve. Ve've been a team ever since.)

"Really?" Number Two asked. "Why didn't you ever join the Kids Next Door?"

"We could have really used devoted individuals like you two," Nigel explained.

(Niet!) Dmitri's voice soon became serious and even angered. (Vhy vould ve join an organization that erases your memory at thirteen even if you're still a valued member?)

"Now hold on a second!" Number One argued. "We only decommission our teenage operatives to ensure that they don't turn on us! Most teenaged members of the Kids Next Door become hostile and no longer care to work for our goal!"

(Vhatever…) the Russian paused and then collected himself. Hey, the beacon has slowed its movement. 

"Is it a trap?" Nigel asked, concerned.

(Perhaps…)

"What else do you think it could be?"

(Nevermind that….Ve're going to investigate the area to see vhere the transmitter's signal leads us.)

"I agree. Lead the way, Commander Dmitri."

(Dmitri. Just call me Dmitri, Numbuh One.)

"Very well. And you can just call me Nigel then."

(Alright…Nigel,)

After a half hour of following the slowed-down ship's transmitter, it finally stopped in what was the middle of the Brazilian Amazon. The teams exited their ships and locked them, arming them with their nearly impenetrable armor, and armed themselves with all their weaponry and gear. The jungle was heavily covered in dense vegetation and acrid humidity. The kids and teenagers were all sweating profusely, swatting at the large mosquitoes dive-bombing them.

"Yech!" Number Four complained. "What do these cruddy bugs eat when kids ahn't around?"

"You don't want to know," Aki sighed as she wiped her sweat-drenched forehead.

"Commander?"

"Da?" Dmitri turned around to face his Japanese teammate.

"Permission to remove shirt," she panted.

"What!" the kids all said in surprise.

"Don't worry, I've got a sports bra on underneath," Aki explained.

"What's a sports bra?" Number Two asked. "Is that a bra with soccer balls on it or something?"

"No, it's a bra that looks like a tiny tank-top. Is that a problem?"

"Hm…" Nigel thought for a moment. "I guess not."

"Good," the Russian said. "Permission granted. Mo, you can take off your shirt too, I imagine you're about as hot as I am at the moment." With that, the three teenagers all removed their top portions of their olive green BDU's and tied the long sleeves around their waists. True to her words, Aki's sports bra did resemble a mini black tank-top. Dmitri had a wife-beater on underneath, with a pair of dog tags hanging around his neck and a tattoo on his right shoulder displaying the number 75. Mo had dog tags too, but he had no shirt. So, his muscular, ebony upper torso was bear, shining with perspiration. On his right shoulder too was a white colored tattoo, his saying the number 187.

"Hey! Nice inks!" Number Four awed at the tattoos on the teenage boys. "Dude, where'd you get them?" Number Two asked.

"Um," Dmitri blushed, trying to cover his numbered tattoo. "Mo and I got really excited about our success on a mission vone time and vent to get ourselves tattoos, vhen ve vere ten and eleven, in Guatemala."

"I bet your parents flipped out," Abigail said.

"Vell, my father brushed it off as being a normal thing for being a pre-teen, and said I just couldn't get anymore until I vas eighteen. Mo's mother on the other hand…Heh heh heh," he laughed.

"Heh heh," Mo chuckled lightly in a deep voice, shocking the children.

"What's the 75 stand for?" Nigel inquired.

"Um, lucky number. I've alvays believed that if you can't take an enemy down in 75 shots or less, then he's a really good opponent," he smiled weakly.

"And Mo's 187?"

"Um…Police code for homicide. Mo vas often revered as a 'killer' for his ruthless efficiency in missions." Again, that insecure smile showed up on the Russian's face.

"Hm…" Nigel shrugged.

"Commander! I'm picking up the signal in that direction!" Aki called out, pointing from the left side of the group over by a wide river (most likely an extension of the Amazon River) while she looked at a small PDA that tracked down the transmitter's location.

"Vhat's the distance?" Dmitri said to her as he came up to her left side to see the display screen for the tracking system.

"Less than 30 meters."

"Let's go to it then," he said as he placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. The two groups followed the signal for a few minutes at a slow pace, treading softly on the moist ground.

"Range: 20 meters," Aki reported. "15…14…" After a few more minutes, the number soon decreased to nothing and the group was at the river bank. "What? How can this be? It says here we should be right on it."

"Vait," the Russian said as he knelt at the mud and water and looked hard. He then pulled out a small, circular chip from the muck and brought it out for everyone to see.

"If that's there," Number One concluded. "Then…"

"They have our number," Dmitri sighed. "Dammit!" he cursed as he crushed the chip in his hand.

"Ooh, you said a bad word!" Number Three gasped.

"Shut up! I'm sixteen, I'll say whatever I fucking want!" he said, furious.

"Commander…" Aki placed her hands around Dmitri's and held them tightly. "It'll be Ok. We'll just have to wait for one of their ships to pass by. Ok?" she smiled.

"Da…" he sighed. "Alright team, and kids, ve camp here tonight."

"In the cruddy jungle?" Number Four asked. "Why can't we just stay in our ships?"

"Because," Number One answered. "Our ships are easy targets to be spotted. But if we stay away from them, we can be safe from an attack on them. Besides, they're locked and armored to prevent theft or damage. That is what you were going to say, wasn't it, Dmitri?"

"Da. That's EXACTLY vhat I vas about to say, Nigel," the commander smiled, but then returned to being serious. "Alright, Aki, you take the girls and go get some fruits and herbs for food. You do remember which ones are edible in the Amazon, right?"

"I think so. I'll just get what I'm 100 sure on," the Japanese girl agreed.

"Good. Numbuhs Two and Four, go get some firewood. Make sure it's dry and not moist."

"Hey, who died and made YOU leaduh?" Wally demanded.

"Easy, Numbuh Four," Nigel told his fellow operative. "Trust the Commander on this one. He knows what he's doing."

"Thank you. Now, Numbuh One, you, Mo, and I vill look for some fish or anything meaty for the food tonight."

"Why not just use the snacks we have in our ship?" Number Five asked. "We've got enough goodies to keep us fed all night."

"Vhat kind of 'goodies'?"

"Oh, you know, candy, Twinkies, Ring-Dings, Cookies-"

"Niet. Sugary foods vill only make you sick during a combat situation. Ve need meat and vegetation," Dmitri argued.

"Ya stahtin' tuh sound like the adults," Wally hissed.

"Trust us," Aki argued. "We've been doing combat situations like this for years, and we know for a fact that junk food is NOT the answer to your hunger. Meat with some fruits and veggies will help you out in the long run."

"Numbuh One…" the kids groaned as they turned to their leader for sympathy.

"Um…Well, what if we got a FEW snacks, but ate some of your guys' stuff too?" he negotiated with the teens.

"Alright," Dmitri sighed. "Aki, take the girls to the ships. Get some of our rations out too. Ve'll all meet back here at this spot vhen ve're done vith our objectives."

"Right!" she saluted as she led the two female operatives to the parked ships. After that, the commander looked at Wally and Hoagie.

"Vell? Go get some firewood, you two," he commanded.

"Yeah, yeah," Number Two grumbled as he and his friend headed off in another direction.

"Now, let's go get some meat," Dmitri said as he, Mo, and Nigel headed down the river to fish.

"Got the last of it?" Aki asked the Number Five as she finally exited her 2x4 tech ship with an arm-full of things like candy bars and lolly-pops.

"Yep. Numbuh Five's glad she always carries a few bits of her own secret stash on the ship," Abigail boasted.

"Good. Lock her up, Numbuh Three," she called out to Kuki.

"Okie-dokie artichokie!" she smiled as she clicked a remote-control that caused the ship to be covered in armored plates similar to the teens' ship.

"Now, let me get a few rations from MY ship," the teen said as she unlocked the piston-operated door to the stealth ship and went inside. After a minute of silence, the two girls saw Aki return with several small aluminum packages and a few bags of jerky.

"Jerky?" Number Five questioned.

"Pemmican Teriyaki style; the best thing in the world. The Commander's and my favorite too," she blushed.

"Hey, is somethin' goin' on between you two?" Abigail asked, grinning smugly.

"Uh-! Wh-What do you mean?"

"He he he!" Number Three giggled. "You LIKE the Commander, don't you?"

"No! I mean, yes…I mean, I respect him as my leader, that's all," she looked down at her feet to hide her reddened face.

"It's Ok, we won't tell him or anyone else. You have our word on it, right Numba Three?" Number Five looked over to her friend.

"Gotcha! My lips are sealed," she proclaimed as she mimed zipping her lips up.

"Thanks, you two," Aki finally looked up, her face less red than before. "We better get back to the camp now."

"Stupid teenagers…" Wally grumbled as he picked up dried branches and held them in his left arm. "Why does Numbuh One like that cruddy Russian? He HATES teenagers!"

"Maybe he's being sympathetic toward them because of their cause," Hoagie tried to reason. "I mean, they ARE all alone doing what they do, I guess they deserve some slack."

"Yeah, well I hope Numbuh One's not getting soft on us. I still don't trust them. Especially that Commander." Suddenly, a large anaconda slithered up behind the blonde boy and reared its large head up above him, ready to feed.

"N-Numbuh Four…!" Number Two quivered as he pointed up at the snake.

"Nice try, pal," Number Four simply laughed. "You can't fool me anymore with your little pranks. Why, I bet there's- MMMPH!" Wally cried out as the gigantic serpent engulfed his head in one bite.

"AAAHHH! HELP!" Hoagie cried out as he ran off to get the others.

"Damn…The Piranhas just aren't biting tonight," Dmitri sighed as he lowered his makeshift harpoon and sat back on the ground next to Mo and Nigel.

"Now I really wish that I paid attention when my dad always takes me fishing," Nigel sighed also. "I think he's said at least a bunch of times what to use as bait in situations like this…"

"Heh, vishing you listened to your parents now? That's a sign of groving up, something I don't think you guys really like."

"Shut up. I just wish I had listened on that one thing. I still think we kids are perfectly fine doing things for ourselves. In fact-"

"AAAHHH! HELP!" the trio heard Number Two scream as he ran over to the camp site. The two teens and one kid scrambled over to Hoagie, who was running around in circles with his hands in the air.

"What happened, Numbuh Two?" Dmitri asked as he grabbed the yelling kid by his shoulders and tried to calm him down.

"Snake! Numbuh Four! EATEN!" he screamed as he kept panicking.

"Where is he?" Number One asked.

"That way!" Hoagie pointed in the direction he had come from.

"Alright, Mo!" the Russian commanded as he turned to his first lieutenant. "Give me your machete." Just as he was asked, Mo took out a large hunting sword out from his leather sheath that hung from his belt on his left side. "Let's hurry up! Ve've only got a little time before Numba Four suffocates!" Dmitri commanded as he, Mo, Hoagie, and Nigel ran over to the scene of the accident. True to Number Two's words, a large black and red anaconda lay on the ground with a kid-sized lump bulging out of its back. Too heavy to respond to the four Humans, the snake sat in its place stubbornly.

"How are we going to get him out?" Nigel inquired, but it didn't take him long to figure it out. "Oh, I see."

"Hya!" Dmitri yelled as he lopped off the serpent's head with a dull TWACK!. "As you Americans say, 'Now for the really icky part'." He said as he brought the large knife horizontally down the snake's corpse until Wally's screams became louder and clearer. Stopping about a foot away from the child's head, the commander stuck his arms into the hole and grabbed hold of Number Four's sticky jacket and shoulders, pulling the operative out with all his might. In seconds, the boy was completely yanked out of the fleshy prison, giving him the ability to breathe again.

"ACK! BLECH! Crud!" Wally cursed as he spat out the slimy digestive juices that had made their way into his mouth and throat.

"Numbuh Four, are you Ok?" Number One asked as he helped wipe off the mucussy slime covering the boy.

"I just nearly got EATEN by a stinkin' snake! What do you THINK I feel like!" he screamed, still freaked out at what happened to him. "Who s-saved me though?" he shivered.

"I did," Dmitri admitted modestly as he took his BDU shirt and draped it over the blonde boy. "And thanks to you, ve now have some food for the night, and plenty of it."

"Uh-uh! I ain't eatin' no snake!" Wally proclaimed as he folded his arms.

"Vell, I guess you can have some of the rations the girls are bringing back, then."

"Fine! Oh…and thanks," Number Four whispered to the Russian.

"Nothing to it. Just doing my duty as a protector of kids. Now come on, let's head back to the camp." With that, the troupe headed back to the campsite after Dmitri and Mo cut off some long thick strip of snake meat and carried it over their shoulders. They all then headed over to the camp, where the three girls we already sitting around, placing leaves on the ground for mats and plates to hold the candy and rations.

"Is everything alright?" Aki asked concerned as she approached her commander and took a few strips of meat and skewered them on some sharpened sticks she collected. "We heard screams."

"Numbuh Four got eaten by an anaconda. But, ve got him out in time, plus, ve got some meat out of the deal," Dmitri smiled as he helped make shish-kabobs out of the tender meat.

"Ooh," Kuki cried as she ran up to hug Number Four. "Poor Numbuh Four."

"Uh, Numbuh Three? Ya don't have tuh hug me ya know," he blushed.

"Oops! Sorry," she too turned red as she let go of her secret crush and ran back to help Number Five set up the candy rations. Aki then walked up to her fellow Nippon operative and whispered to her

"My lips are sealed too." Number Three blushed, then nodded as the auburn-haired girl walked back to the leaves and put out some ration packs for later.

"So, we're having SNAKE for dinner?" Abigail asked as she looked at the fire that Number One and Two were starting and the meat that the teenagers were now placing next to the it.

"Yep," Aki answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "Want some?"

"Heck no. Go eat some snakes…" she shook her head as she handed out the candy and junk-food to the kids. The night went by quickly as the kids ate their junk-food, while the teens all ate their natural food. Number One was brave enough to try out the anaconda, and was shocked to find out it tasted like chicken. That was six hours ago, though. The scene now was all the kids and two of the teens were all lying curled up near some shady trees, using large tree leaves as blankets. Dmitri was the only one awake as he tended to the fire that was a few yards away from the kids. Suddenly, he heard the sounds of footsteps coming near him. He tensed up for a second and aimed his laser-guided AK-47 at the approaching target.

"Who's there?" he demanded.

"Nigel," Number One answered as he came into the fire light.

"Oh," the commander lowered his weapon and loosened up. "Sorry about that."

"You're still awake?"

"Let's just say I'm too light a sleeper."

"Because you're afraid of the Kids Next Door coming to decommission you once and for all, Dmitri Kalashnikov? Or should I say, Numbuh 75?" Nigel lowered his shades to look hard into Dmitri's shocked eyes.

"How long have you known?" was all the Russian could ask.

"Not long."

"Vhat gave it away? I'm curious."

"Well, the fact that you new a lot about the Kids Next Door, like our combat-rating system and bases' schematics; the fact that you refer to us operatives as 'Numbuh' instead of 'Number', like everyone else does; and the tattoos you and Mo have are what finally convinced me."

"Shit…." Dmitri sighed as he poked the fire with a sharpened, wet stick.

"Numbuh 75: leader of the famous Berserker Unit of the Kids Next Door. We learned all about you and your team's missions at the Antarctica academy. You're a legend, Dmitri, why did you leave the Kids Next Door?"

"Legends are bad news. There's usually not a lot of difference between heroes and madmen," the former operative spat back.

"But you're no madman."

"Not according to the KND high command. I've been a vanted fugitive for four years now, and there's no vay I can clear my name."

"Why? I was never briefed on what happened between you and the Kids Next Door. What made you turn your back on us?"

"The love of my friend, that's vhat," Dmitri said almost painfully. "It all began eight years ago. Mo and I had been vorking as hired help for odd-job missions all over the world for the KND for two years. Vell, vhen I vas eight, Global Command decided to create a special unit for the two of us and the just as experienced, yet older, operatives. That was the Berserker Unit. Ve vere hired, as you know, for special-ops missions that vere deemed too tough for the regular operatives. In the unit, I was first in command and Mo vas my second-in-command. Our youngest agent vas a boy named Numbuh 274."

"Chad!" Nigel said astonished. "You knew him when he was that young?"

"Knew him? He vas not just vone of the best men in my unit, but he vas also a good friend. Chad came to us at age five, after graduating at an accelerated rate at the Antarctica academy. For two years, he fought vith me, Mo, and several other highly skilled warriors. Then, Chad vas offered a position as a higher ranked operative. Two years later, he vas pretty high up in the chain of command. By then, all members of the Berserker Unit, aside from Mo and me, had been decommissioned."

"That would have made you twelve and Mo…"

"Thirteen. But only Chad and I knew that. As far as everyone else knew, Mo vas a year younger than ME. All of this vent into chaos, however, vhen Mo vas ordered to be the subject of a black project experiment. Tell me, have you ever heard of anything named 'A.P.E.'?"

"No, can't say I have," Number One raised an eyebrow at his idol.

"I'm not surprised. Only the highest-ranking members of the KND have access to the secret file about it. All of the operatives who vere there vhen it was actually being vorked on were all decommissioned by now. Vell, this little project vas a radical and controversial one. It vas the first project to create a cybernetic operative."

"What? Neural-implants and everything? The Kids Next Door would never attempt that sort of thing," Nigel defended his organization.

"Nigel, there are projects like this that vere before even MY time that are like this vone. I vouldn't be surprised if there are STILL projects like this still being performed. I vas only lucky enough to know of two or three because of my rank and status."

"I hope you're wrong…"

"Vhatever the case, Mo vas assigned to be the A.P.E. prototype's host. A.P.E. means 'Armor-Plated Exoskeleton' and is activated by a voice-recognition phrase…and Mo may be the only person left who knows it."

" 'May'? You don't mean that…"

"Da. Mo vas eventually decommissioned. The day Mo vas to test out A.P.E., Chad sent in a report that showed Mo's real age. He vas immediately sent to be decommissioned, vhile I was stripped a rank or two for keeping his age a secret. So, the second I got the chance, I took as much heavy artillery I could carry, and broke into the Decommissioning Room to free Mo. The problem vas...the job vas half-way done when I got him out," Dmitri said painfully.

"Did he remember you?" Number One asked hesitantly.

"Da. He remembered four things about his life as an operative: how to fight, that the KND did this to him, A.P.E., and that I was…" the Russian sniffed hard, trying to fight back his tears, but ended up losing. "He remembered that I vas his best friend!" The commander then held his face into his hands and wept pathetically. It was a sad sight to see, that such hard teenager like Dmitri had a softer side to him. A tragic side to him.

"S-So, what did you do, if I may ask?"

"Vell," the former operative wiped away his tears. "I gave him half of my veapons and ve took the Moon Base by storm. Ve, as you Americans say, 'kicked ass and took names'. Ve then boarded an escape shuttle and flew off before the KND's sensors could track us. From there, ve crashed our ship in the San Francisco Bay, vhere ve stayed in hiding vith a friend for a few months, until Headquarters gave up on looking for us."

"Aki..?"

"Aki Miramoto. In the days of the Berserker Unit, she vas a hired mercenary ve asked to help us out occasionally vhen ve vere in the tightest of jams. The KND never knew of her, so, ve hid at her place for about six months. She and her family had moved to San Francisco about three years earlier. After the organization stopped searching for us, ve all committed ourselves to fighting for kids' rights, but remained secret from the KND. Ve did have to make a few shady deals vith the adults to get our equipment. But luckily, Mo and my fathers both helped get us gear and the technology ve use."

"So, what exactly are your guns? Are they beebee-guns?" Nigel finally asked.

"These are vhat are called airsoft guns. All of our guns are automatic, and fire 6mm pellets. However, ve've modified them to fire faster and more rapidly than the law allows almost everywhere else. Ve don't vant to kill anyvone, just make them sore," he finally laughed.

"I see. I…Oh, never mind," Nigel blushed as he looked away.

"Vhat?"

"Well, I don't mean to sound like a little kid, but, I'm honored to be with someone like you. To tell you the truth, I'm the way I am because I wanted to be like you and Chad. Well, before he turned to the darkside."

"Hm? Vhat do you mean? Chad's vasn't decommissioned?"

"No, he busted out with the help of Cree, a teenager who works against us with the adults."

"Cree? Numbuh Eleven, right? She vas really good vith the 2x4 technology."

"You knew her?"

"Er…Not personally, just heard of her exploits on her assignments. So Chad's vorking vith the adults, huh? Figures, that bastard!" Kalashnikov humphed.

"Yes. But, why did he turn in Mo, though?"

"Chad never liked how Mo vas alvays my right-hand man. Chad vanted to be that kind of person, so I guess he vanted to get Mo out of the vay, plus, it was SOP to get him decommissioned. Really, Mo and I vere going to escape from the KND vonce I turned thirteen. The problem vith the Kids Next Door is that they don't realize that vith every kid they threaten to decommission, they plant the seeds of betrayal. Mo and I have only gotten better as soldiers since we became vigilantes. Know this, Nigel: not everyone becomes a teenager at age thirteen, some of us never truly grow up until much later."

"I can agree with that, but rules are rules."

"Fuck the rules! Vhich is more important, your precious rules, or your friends? Do you know what it's like to have a friend whose memory is as fucked up as Mo's? It's horrible. It's like being vith someone, yet not being vith that exact person."

"Believe it or not, I DO know what that's like. Chad framed my friends too, and they got decommissioned like Mo. But, I was able to help them recover some of their memories in the process. So, there's still hope for Mo. Decommissioning only locks away memories, it doesn't erase them. I bet that with some intense therapy, Mo can recover most, if not all, of his memories."

"You really think so?" Dmitri smiled, hopeful of his friend's brighter future.

"Absolutely," Nigel smiled back. The two leaders stared back at each other for minutes simply enjoying the chance for an old dog and a new one to speak of their pasts like friends.

"You ought to join us, Nigel," Dmitri finally said. "Ve could use people as skilled as you and your team. Vhat do you say, after you and your friends all turn thirteen, you join us to keep protecting kids?"

"What? Well, I don't know…" Nigel answered back. "I have wondered what I'd do once my friends and I all turned into teenagers, age-wise, I mean."

"No rush to decide. Just remember, the Kalashnikov, Jackson, and Miramoto residences are alvays happy to take in boarders and refugees."

"Well, in three years, I'll call you once we've made our decision. How's that?"

"Very mature of you," the Russian laughed. "Now, about your team. Vhat are we going to do with them?"

"Yes, since they've been eavesdropping on our entire conversation!" Number One yelled as he kicked the bushes behind him, causing his teammates to jump out and stare at him with embarrassed faces.

"How much did you hear?" Dmitri asked as he aimed his AK at them. "And don't lie," he smiled.

"Everything!" Number Two answered.

"We won't tell Global Command, though," Number Four mentioned.

"Besides, maybe we could join you guys in the future when we all turn thirteen," Number Three reasoned.

"Yeah, to fight alongside the legendary Dmitri Kalashnikov and Mo Jackson would be so cool!" Number Five grinned as she punched her open hand in a fighting gesture.

"Vell, it's good to know there are some operatives out there on our side," Kalashnikov sighed happily. "Now, you five better get some shut-eye. Tomorrow ve've got a lot of hiking to do."

"Good night!" the operatives cheered as they all returned to their makeshift beds.

"The same for you two," Dmitri said as Mo and Aki leapt from the trees above the fire, landing next to their commander with their uniforms on and their guns cocked and ready.

"I guess they really are trustworthy, eh Commander?" Aki said through her balaclava.

"Da. Now, you two get to bed, I'll put out the fire in a minute."

"Right," Aki agreed as she and Mo took off their masks and coats and headed to bed.

To be continued…


	4. Part 4

Disclaimer:  
I don't own "Kids Next Door" and all its characters, just Dmitri, Mo, and Aki. KND belongs to Mr. Warburton and Mo Willems and those other guys.

Second Disclaimer: I don't own the copyrighted names listed here. They all belong to their respected owners.

Kids Next Door Operation:  
CO.M.R.A.D.E.S.

Part 4

Dmitri awoke with a start, flinging his eyes wide open, but not moving an inch. The air around him smelled of intruders…armed intruders. As quietly as he could, and without making any sudden movements, the commander called out to his team in a hushed voice.

"Psst! Mo, Aki, wake up, but don't move!" he whispered.

"What is it, Commander?" Aki asked as she detected the same scents as her commanding officer. Mo sniffed the air too, making a grim face. "What do you want us to do?"

"Do you have your veapons with you?" the Russian asked as he slowly grabbed his AK

"Affirmative," Aki confirmed as she grasped her Famas close to her body. Meanwhile, Mo slowly took the safety off of his MP5 and got ready to make whatever move his commander had planned.

"On my count, we fire at all directions. Attack Pattern Gamma."

"Roger."

"One…Two…THREE!" Instantly, the trio jumped onto their feet and began firing at will at all surrounding directions. The targets blasted off from their positions with their rocket-propelled boots, soaring into the treetops and firing lasers, mustard blasts, and gumballs.

"They're fast!" Aki called out as she aimed her French gun into the air, shooting down only a few of the enemies at a time.

"What's going on here!" Nigel suddenly asked as he and the other operatives awoke from the shooting.

"You back-stabber!" Dmitri called out at the bald boy. "How dare you call your fellow operatives to take us! And after vhat you said last night!" Dmitri was enraged as he continued to fire his Russian gun at the kids flying around him and his team.

"What are you talking about!" Number One demanded. "I never told headquarters to come here!"

"But I DID!" and Irish voice called out as more KND agents popped out from behind trees and began firing at the teenagers. "Get the nets!" Number 86 called out as her team of KND soldiers shot out three and instantly trapped them.

"Numbuh 86!" Kids Next Door operatives 1-5 all asked, shocked.

"Thanks to you five, we've finally captured the renegade operatives Dmitri Kalashnikov and Mo Jackson. Alright, men, quit firing!" she commanded as her troops flew down to the trapped teenagers and began to tie the ends to their nets. "And you must be Aki Miramoto," she said to the redhead. "So sorry to have to do this to a fellow girl. But I'm a Kids Next Door operative before I'm a girl."

"Leave her alone!" Dmitri yelled as he tried to think of a plan out of this situation. "She's got nothing to do with this! Take Mo and me, but leave her out! She wasn't a KND operative!"

"Nothing to do with this? Ah, but she has," the Irish girl explained. "She's assisted in the quartering of wanted fugitives, and she's helped them sabotage Kids Next Door Missions."

"Sabotage missions?" Nigel asked Dmitri, who looked away in shame.

"It's true…" the commander sighed. "Sometimes ve couldn't allow the KND to interfere vith our missions. I'm sorry, you had to find out Numbuh One…"

"I guess you really HAVE changed, Dmitri," Number One frowned. "Still, Numbuh 86, how did you know it was them?" he asked his superior.

"Simple," Fanny said as she approached Number One and took off the tracker she gave him that was planted behind left ear. "This tracker is also a transmitter. We heard everything you've said since the Phoenix base," she grinned.

"How dare you!" Nigel roared as he grabbed her shoulders. "Since WHEN did the Kids Next Door stoop to such lowly tactics!"

"Get your hands off me!" the Number 86 said as she pushed the bald boy back. "Get with the program, Numbuh One! We had to see if the teenagers really were the former operatives who escaped decommissioning. Besides, I needed to know if you're really going to betray us at thirteen and join these traitors. Because that's punishable by premature decommissioning," she glared at Nigel with intense fury.

"I…Uh…" Number One looked over at Dmitri, who also eagerly awaited the answer. "My team and I will…stay loyal to the Kids Next Door and be decommissioned at thirteen, like everyone else…" he sighed as he looked at Dmitri, who only shook his head in shame.

"Good, for helping us capture the teens, you and your team might get promoted," she said as she patted Nigel's shoulder.

"Fuhget it!" Wally said.

"Yeah, keep your promotions to yourself!" Number Five replied.

"Fine, your loss…" 86 shrugged as she walked over to Dmitri and kicked him in the head. Unbeknownst to everyone else, the Russian had clipped on his bayonet blade and had secretly sawed through his fine netting. In an instant, he pounced out of his net hole and grabbed Number 86 by her right arm, pulling it behind her back painfully, and brought his bayonet knife millimeter away from her throat. "ACK! Let me go, or I'll-"

"You'll do NOTHING you pigheaded Irish tart!" he snarled at her as he brought her arm further back. "Let's make a deal, or I'll slit your throat…" he hissed almost sinisterly.

"Commander!" the operatives 1-5 all said at random times together.

"What kind of deal do you think I'll make with a worthless teenager?" Fanny spat back.

"You let Aki, Mo, and me go, and ve promise not to…not to sabotage anymore of your missions that get in our way. Deal?" the commander looked straight into the girl's glaring eyes.

"I've got a better proposition," she smiled mischievously. "Alright, boys, surround Numbuhs One thru Five!" she called out to her team, who did as they were told. The surrounded operatives couldn't do a thing to stop it either, as they were all unarmed and unprepared to fight 20 or so armed and skilled agents. "Now, Mr. Kalashnikov, give yourself up or I'll blast your friends here. Deal?" she grinned smugly, knowing the commander wasn't about to let five innocent kids get fried.

"…Damn you!" Dmitri cursed as he let go of the girl and kicked her from behind, launching her away from him. Instantly, the Number 86's agents surrounded the Russian, taking his weapon, and handcuffed him.

"Humph!" Fanny said as she got up and dusted herself off. "Oh, by the way, I was bluffing. I wouldn't have actually shot these operatives," she grinned as her guards all pointed their weapons at the teenagers now. "Take them to the ship, and put their weapons in with ours. We might be able to learn something from the design of them. Oh, and don't worry fellow operatives," she said to Numbers 1-5. "We'll send another team of operatives to help you find the enemies." And so, Number 86 and her guards left, making Dmitri walk at gunpoint, and dragged the other two teenagers after their weapons were confiscated.

"Theh gone," Number Four said in shock.

"Too bad, they were just growing on me, too," Number Two sighed.

"So, Numbuh One, what's the game plan now?" Number Five asked.

"I…I guess we just wait for the second team to come and help us," he shrugged with a depressed face. Aside from his little outburst just now, Dmitri wasn't that bad of a guy, and Number One couldn't bring himself to think that he had aided in his capture. 'I'm sorry, Dmitri,' he thought. 'There's nothing I can do…'

An hour had passed since the capture of the three commando teens, an hour since their greatest defeat. The trip to the Moon Base uneventful and smooth. Before they knew it, the three teenagers were being strapped into the decommissioning chairs all next to one another, an all too grim sight for Dmitri and Mo to remember. The guards had left the trio to get a snack in the hallway, leaving the teens some time to talk amongst themselves one last time.

"Well…" Dmitri sighed. "I didn't think it vould end this way. I figured ve'd just retire in our tventies or something…." His voice trailed off with despair.

"Commander…er…Dmitri?" Aki asked nervously. "What…what do you think will happen to us after we're…you know…?"

"Who knows…maybe we'll just do NORMAL things that teenagers do," he sneered. "Damn these Kids Next Dumb! I hope they lose to Father and his cronies! I hope that they-"

"Dmitri!" Aki cried. "Please, don't say that sort of stuff anymore!" she sniffed. "I don't want to wish anything bad on Nigel and his friends…"

"Uh-! Sorry, Aki," the Russian sighed as the room became silent for what seemed like forever. There was something turning in his head, something that had been bugging him all these years, and now it was too late to say it. He wanted to say that-

"Dmitri…I…I…" Aki finally spoke again. "I…I love you…I wanted to tell you that earlier, but I…I knew that it would only make things difficult for you as our leader. There, I said it. I'm sorry," she finished as she began to weep softly.

"Aki…" the commander said in a calm and comforting voice. "Aki, I'm not upset vith you. I know how you feel because…because…"

"Because what?"

"Because…I love you too. I didn't vant to say it because of the same reasons. I didn't vant to anyone to find out my feelings for you because I didn't vant them to use them against us. So, I had to stay silent about it. I should be the vone who's sorry…" he bent his head down, failing at fighting back the tears falling slowly from his dark eyes. "Vell, who knows, ve might end up meeting again. Maybe…Oh forget it, it's hopeless!" he yelled, cursing himself for being too careful about his true feelings.

"Commander…" a deep voice finally spoke up. Aki and Dmitri all looked over at the source of the voice.

"Mo?" the two star-crossed lovers asked.

"Commander, it doesn't have to end this way," Mo continued.

"What do you mean, Mo?" Dmitri asked.

"I could use…it."

"No! Absolutely NOT!" the Russian refused. "Ve have no idea if it's even operational!"

"Oh, it is," Mo explained. "It's been charging all these years, waiting to be finally initialized. It'll work."

"But, Mo," Aki protested. "Using it might KILL you! You don't want that!"

"Anything's better than having a mind devoid of what's left of my memories!"

"Mo, I von't risk losing you permanently! I-" Dmitri objected.

"Commander, you said that it was horrible having a friend who couldn't remember the good times and the bad, what do you think it was like for me? All I know is that you and I are good friends, and that we had been through a lot. It was like I was with a stranger when I was alone. I felt so out of place because I couldn't reminisce with you all the time; that we had to start all over at being friends! I'd rather die with these memories I've made with you two over these four years than be killed mentally! If I'm going down, I'm going down fighting! It's our only chance to keep this friendship we three have made together!"

Silence deafened the room for minutes. Finally, Dmitri spoke.

"Do you know the passvord?" he asked in a calm tone.

"Yes, I still do," Mo answered, equally cool.

"Heh heh heh…" the Russian snickered, finally feeling like his old self again, full of hope, and full of confidence. "Alright. On my signal, Mo, give them hell. Ve'll show these punk-ass children not to mess vith us!"

"Dmitri…" Aki finally smiled again.

Just in time, the doors to the room opened up, revealing Number 86 and her team of elite KND operatives. The group encircled the trio sitting in the middle of the room while one operative went to the control station to start the decommissioning.

"Well, I hope you've had a fun time playing hooky with us," Fanny smiled maliciously at the teenagers who all put up false faces of despair and anger. "Any last words before we turn you three into nothing but harmless fools?"

"Da," Dmitri nodded. "Mo, NOW!" Instantly, everyone looked over at Mo, who was tensing every muscle in his body at that moment.

He finally looked up at the kids with a face of sheer determination yelling at the top of his lungs "Bring it ON!" Instantly, dull titanium plates sprang out from his back, covering his body in a hulking armor and breaking off the restraints which had held his body captive.

"It…It can't be…!" Number 86 gasped at the sight of the 7 foot tall monster before her and her team. "It's…It's…A.P.E. !" True to its name, A.P.E. resembled an armor plated gorilla with larger-than-normal-proportioned arms.

"Rrrraugh!" Mo roared as he swung his right arm at the dumbfounded kids, sending them flying across the room, bumping their heads against the wall and going unconscious. The cyber-suit had the power of a freight train, and yet, Mo's suit had the ability to be subtle enough to undo the restraints on his friends, who were more than thankful.

"Mo, how much longer can you sustain this form?" Dmitri asked as he walked over to a large computer in the room and began typing away. He was looking for where his and his team's weapons were being held; lord knows they didn't want to have to use 2x4 tech weapons for too long.

"I'd give it another hour before it needs to be charged again, sir," Mo went back to talking as he would to his superior.

"Alright then. Ah, here ve go," the commander said as he brought up a schematic of the Moon Base, with three sectors highlighted. "Over here is vhere ve are," he pointed to the highlighted Sector 7. "Our veapons are over in here," he moved his finger up and to the left to Sector 2. "And the escape ships are over here," he finally pointed over to Sector 15, just above Sector 2. "Ve'll need to use you, Mo, as our shield and offensive weapon until ve can get our veapons back, and maybe still as a way of holding them off in the ships' hangar. Do ve all understand the game plan?"

"Right!" Aki nodded.

"Roger," Mo crossed his metallic arms across his titanium chest.

"Alright, Mo, take the point, I'll give you directions. Aki, take two of these guys' weapons for now," Dmitri pointed over at the knocked out operatives. Aki grabbed two Coke-bottle laser rifles and handed one to her lover/superior. "Ok, let's move out!"

The trio ran out of the Decommissioning Room and ran at top speed; Mo blocking shots from the alarmed operative's weapons and Aki and Dmitri covering the rear. After about five minutes of heading down corridors, the group came into the Weapons' Storage Room, where they hurriedly recovered their guns, grenades, and gear.

"Alright, they'll probably sound-" the Russian began but was soon interrupted by an alarm.

"BZZ! BZZ! Attention all Kids Next Door operatives, the three teenagers Dmitri Kalashnikov, Mo Jackson, and Aki Miramoto have escaped! Seal off all sectors and exit-ways, don't let them escape!" a young girl's voice commanded over the PA system throughout the Moon Base.

"That's our cue," Kalashnikov laughed. "Ok, let's move out, troops!" he commanded as they all rushed out of the room and headed up the stair-way to Sector 15: the Hangar. On the way up, three kids in orange jump suits got in their way, but Mo was quick to act and pounded them into the wooden structure of the stairs, knocking them out instantly.

"Not too shabby," Aki commented as Mo gave the team a thumbs-up.

"Let's hurry now," Dmitri told them as they ascended until they reached a large half-circle of doors guarded by half a dozen heavily armed kids. "Open fire!" he yelled to his teammates as they fired at the kids, barraging them with dozens of incredibly stinging 6mm copper BB's. The children soon cowered into fetal positions from a pain they hadn't expected from 'toy guns.' This gave Mo the opportunity to hammer his enlarged metal fists into the closed doors, splintering them into toothpicks in seconds. The teenagers then came to a sight they had not expected: four identical ships, each the size of a small yacht.

"Which one do we take, Commander," Aki asked as she looked back quickly to see if any more operatives were behind them.

"All of them," the Russian said almost naturally.

"What?"

"Aki, see those two on the right? Program them to launch in five minutes. Vone somevhere in Southeast Asia, and vone in the middle of Africa. Mo," he turned to the armored, Congo-born member of his troupe. "Go to the vone on the far left and set it to launch somevhere in the American Northvest in five minutes."

"Right!" both teenagers saluted as they hurried over to the 2x4 tech ships and began to set their autopilots. Meanwhile, Dmitri kept a close watch on the 'doorway' Mo had made, just in case anyone had followed them yet. Within a minute, the two teens came back to their commander and gave him a thumbs up.

"Now, let's take the ship ve didn't set," he commanded as they followed him into the craft and shut the doors. Aki walked up to the pilot's station and began to set its coordinates.

"Where are we going, sir?" she asked. "The Amazon to help Nigel and his friends?"

"Niet," the Russian shook his head. "That's the first place they'll suspect us at. Ve need to re-supply ourselves first."

"Shall I set it for Chernonton, Russia? Our old base?"

"Niet. If ve go somevhere public the game's over; they'll most likely have agents there who'll catch us. Set the coordinates for Katanga, Russia; nothing's out there but a small town of less than 200, and I have an old friend there that can help us out vith supplies," he commanded, with Aki soon setting the autopilot for the said location. Dmitri took the controls of the ship, since he was the only one who ever underwent the VR training for piloting, and prepared to fire the engines. After less than three minutes of waiting, the KND operatives made their way into the hangar and split up to search the ships.

Right on schedule, the three ships' engines fired up automatically and began to take off before the kids could get to them. Within a split second of seeing the other ships start up their boosters, Dmitri gunned his ship's engines and traveled at nearly the same speed as the decoy ships. All at once, the ships left the Moon Base and separated ways across the globe.

"That ought to confuse them," Dmitri laughed as he looked back at Aki and the now armor-less Mo. Both teenagers grinned at him in victory of their escape. 'Hang in there, Nigel…' he thought as he sped towards his homeland. 'Just hold out for a few hours, and ve'll be back…'

"Glad you could finally make it, Numbuhs 48, 97, 21, 102, and 78," Nigel said as he and his team all shook hands with the newly-arrived squad of KND operatives. It had been almost three hours since Dmitri and his teammates had left, and the team was already adjusting to the lack of adolescents.

"Glad to be here, Numbuh One," Number 97, a blonde girl armed with a gumball-machine gun, smiled back.

"So," Number 78, a brown-haired boy with glasses, asked. "How much do you know about the enemy?"

"Well…To tell you the truth, not much more than you guys," Number Two blushed.

"What Numbuh Two MEANS to say," Number One broke in. "Is that we haven't learned anything new since the Phoenix base. However, we think the Delightful Children might be in on it."

"Yeah," Number Five added. "I did notice that the brainwashed kids all had the same creepy eyes and voices as those Delightful brats."

"Hm…" Number 97 thought to herself for a moment. "Well, I guess we'll have to just head to the ships and recon the place from above; no need to stay in the disgusting jungle, right?" she laughed.

"Yeah," Number One agreed as his teammates all nodded.

"Good, see you guys in the sky," 97 smiled as she and her team broke for the ship they had arrived on while Nigel and his crew went to theirs. Between the ships was a lone armored black ship, belonging originally to the teenagers Dmitri, Mo, and Aki. The ship was still being protected by the titanium-steel alloy armor and could only be opened by one of its previous owners. 'But they're gone now…' thought Nigel as he boarded his ship.

(KZZK! Numbuh One, we found it! Repeat, we found the base our enemy is hiding at!) Number 97 reported over the radio to Hoagie and the rest of the other team of operatives.

"Roger that," Number Two responded as he handed the mic to Nigel, who was sitting right next to him.

"Where are you right now?" he asked.

(About twenty-two miles south of you guys. The base looks something like an old temple/pyramid, with heavy renovations. We're descending just a quarter of a mile away from it; there seem to be no guards at all.)

"Roger that, 97.," Number One said. "We'll be there shortly," He then hung up the radio transceiver. "Alright, Numbuh Two, full speed south!"

"Aye-aye, Numbuh One," Hoagie Gilligan saluted his leader and turned the ship southward, flying close to the speed of sound. Within a few minutes, the team landed their ship right next to the one the other team of operatives had flown in. As operatives 1-5 exited their ship, they carried as much heavy artillery as they could.

"Ok, then," Number 97 said as she and her teammates all lock and loaded their guns as well. "Let's keep a sharp look-out while we head into this place."

"Wait," Number One interrupted. "Do any of you have a transponder to Central Command? If this IS the base we're looking for, we'll need to contact them."

"Covered," Number 78 said as he held out his small calculator-like device.

"Ok, let's move out!" Number 97 said as she led the expedition over to the once Mayan or Incan temple. For several minutes, the base premises was quiet and lacking any activity, minus the occasional bird fluttering away. And occasionally, Number Three would comment,

"Ooh! Look at the cute little birdy!"

Finally, the kids happened upon the entrance of the building: a golden, squared-off, and closed-off, doorway embroidered with fancy swirls and wave-like crests.

"Ugh…" Number Four groaned. "This place has 'Delightful' written all ovuh it."

"Don't let that throw your guard off, operatives," Nigel suggested.

"So, uh, how are we getting in?" Number Two asked as he walked up to the doors' right, spotting a keypad terminal.

"Wait, Numbuh Two!" 78 stopped his fellow operative from touching the device.

"Oops, sorry."

"Numbuh 102," Number 97 asked. "Get out the Scrambler."

"Right!" the boy said as he searched through a backpack he had been carrying. Finally, he pulled out what looked like an electric eggbeater with a calculator attached to it. Meanwhile, Number 87 opened up the control panel's casing, revealing a juxtaposition of wires and circuits. Number 102 then placed the Scrambler inside the opened box and turned on his device. The eggbeater spinners of the device pulled and wrapped the wires up in a ball, then rearranged them to connect with the calculator portion of the device. Numbers flashed all around the screen of the calculator, until they lit up with the number combination of 04-19-85. Instantly, the doors of the building opened up with a mechanical hiss.

"Be on your guard, teams," 97 cautioned as they entered the dark facility. The teams turned on their night-vision goggles and searched around the place's interior for clues, the whereabouts of the missing operatives, and a light-switch for that matter.

Without warning, the entire inside brightened up into a fully-lit, high-tech gladiator coliseum interior with the seats all filled up with hundreds of armed children with creepy blue eyes, laser guns, blue and white uniforms, and red football helmets. Also in their midst were red and white uniformed football players armed with Battle Ready Armor. Above in what would have been the sportscasters' booth was none other than the Delightful Children from Down the Lane and their fiendish boss/parent Father.

"Well, well, well," the Children all said in unison. "If it isn't the nosey Kids Next Door. What should we do with them, Father?"

"Hm…" the dark man said as he took out his pipe and thought for a bit. "It would be logical to turn them into your brethren, like we did with the others. However, I think we should see how good of Children they'll make, don't you think?"

"Why yes, Father. That is an excellent idea. All child-soldiers; ATTACK!" Instantly, the white and blue uniformed kids picked up their guns and moved as one great mass of brainwashed fury against the ten operatives.

"Wh-What do we do now, 97?" 102 asked shakily.

"F-Fight, of course!" she yelled as the ten kids all open-fired at the child-soldiers. With each hit, the mass of numerous children quickly regrouped.

"YAAH! Take that, ya cruddy-traituhs!" Wally yelled as he fired rapid blasts from his mustard guns, throwing the occasional shaving cream grenade into the mass. Slowly, but surely, he was knocking out more kids; lessening their force at a steady rate.

"Eat gumballs!" Hoagie called out as he dove into the crowd of kids, then firing a full 360 degrees at his surrounding enemies.

"Nice one, Numbuh Two!" Nigel said as he flew into the air, courtesy of his rocket boots, and began dive-bombing the brainwashed kids with his spanking-gun.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Number Three said as she continued to fire teddy bears at the enemies. "Sorry, this hurts me more than…Well, it'll hurt you more! He he!"

"Fire in the hole!" Abigail called out as she threw a grenade into the mass. In a bright explosion, the area where the grenade was thrown was covered with a sticky substance.

"Numbuh Five," Number One asked as he hovered behind Number Five's back, covering her with his spanking-gun. "Was that one of Aki's?"

"Yup! She gave me one before we left the ships last night! But that's all Numbuh Five's got!"

"Good work, though! I'll cover you!" the bald kid said.

"It is useless to resist, Kids Next Door," the Children said from above. "You will eventually lose to our superior numbers and forces. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" True to the Delightfuls' words, the mass had completely encircled the group of ten operatives. The football players in the audience roared and hooted as the KND operatives ceased firing.

"Surrender, you brats," Father sneered. "Surrender and nothing bad will become of you."

"Yeah, Jus whut ah ya gonna do tuh us!" Number Four demanded.

"Why, Delightfulization. Nothing else. It's quite painless, really, and you'll be a lot smarter than now. Besides, it will help you blossom into such wonderful adults."

"Numbuh Five don't want none of that!" Abigail protested as she fired at the mass once more.

"Yeah, neither will Numbuh Two!" Hoagie joined in.

"Keep fighting until you have no more fight left in you!" Number One proclaimed as he and the rest of the group fired again. It seemed hopeless: ten against less than a thousand. All odds were against them. 'It'll take a miracle to save us…' almost all the operatives thought simultaneously.

Without warning, the high ceiling of the coliseum broke in one section in the middle; the falling debris causing the Delightfulized children to scatter. Raining down from the hole was what looked like a small version of a stealth bomber armed with numerous cannons that fired out giant blobs of manila goop that rolled like a large ball, yet was sticky enough to pick up the brainwashed kids that got in the way. After five blasts had been issued, most of the Delightful soldiers were stuck in place from the gloop.

The ship hovered down next to the operatives, of which only Numbers 1-5 knew what was going on. As the pressurized door opened up, out poured three teenagers: a large African-American with an MP5 and a rocket launcher, wearing a jungle-camouflage uniform; a brown-haired boy in an grey and white camouflage BDU, with the coat tied around his waist, and an AK-47; and a red-headed Japanese girl in a black and grey ninja suit and mask, armed with a katana strapped to her back and a Famas in her arms.  
"Dmitri? Mo? Aki?" the five operatives asked, bewildered.

"Da! Ve couldn't let you guys have all the fun!" Dmitri said as he took point and began shooting the Delightful soldiers.

"If you're here, then that means…" Number 97 said as she and her teammates all turned their guns at the teenagers.

"No! They're not the enemy!" Hoagie explained as he and the other operatives made a human shield in front of the teens.

"Numbuh Two is right," Nigel concurred. "We need to concentrate on the CURRENT enemies. Otherwise, we'll LOSE."

"But they're TEENAGERS!" 97 complained. However, she was suddenly grabbed by several of the soldiers, along with the rest of her team, and taken off to the Delightful Children.

"Dmitri! Get them! We'll cover you guys!" Number One said as he and his team returned to firing at the soldiers while Dmitri and the other two adolescents went after the captured operatives. The trio ran after the kids and shot only at the soldiers' feet, hoping to trip them from the stinging of the BB's. From out of nowhere, a large group of football players in Battle Ready Armor blocked the way; but Mo was quick to act.

"Bring it ON!" he yelled as he became incased in his armored shell. "Commander, I'll take these guys. You and Aki go ahead!" he told them as he rammed three of the players, knocking them down.

"Right, be careful Mo!" Dmitri said as he and Aki fled after the soldiers once again. The chase led up the coliseum steps and up to a mid-section walkway, where a rogue fist nearly missed the commander's face.

"Hold it right there!" a ninja clad in female BRA said as she took her fighters' stance.

"Cree, long time no see," Dmitri chuckled as he cocked his gun.

"Dmitri, I thought you didn't really know her," said, confused.

"Vell, let's just say she's an old flame."

"Ha! You should see yourself, Dmitri; you're a lone soldier fighting a losing battle. You're drowning in time; I know what it's like. So, why not join Father and we can get back together?" Cree asked as her helmet retracted.

"You should see YOURself, Cree: you haven't aged vell," the Russian laughed.

"Grr…How DARE you!" she yelled as she lunged at Dmitri with her wrist-blade

KTING! a lone katana blade blocked the African-American girl's blade.

"No one," Aki growled. "Touches my man!" she said as she thrust Cree's arm-blade away from Dmitri. "Commander, I'll take her. You go save the kids."

"Be careful, she's really dangerous," he said.

"Oh I'm more than dangerous," Cree smiled devilishly.

"I was talking about Aki, Cree," Dmitri laughed as he ran after the soldiers again. The kidnappers had the Russian commander after them for what seemed like forever, until they disappeared into a dark room with him close behind.

'Vhere did they go?' he thought to himself. Suddenly, the lights turned on in the room, blinding the son of a Spetsnaz for a moment, just before he could see what the room was: the Delightfulization Chamber. In front of him were numerous large tubes, five with one of the KND operatives in it, and all the child-soldiers were standing right in front of him, their laser guns aimed at him while a blonde teenager in BRA manned the controls to the tubes.

'I know that boy…' Dmitri thought in rage as he opened fire at all the soldiers, knocking them out, but not without he himself sustaining several hits to his body from the pounding guns' blasts.

"Wow, just as tough as ever, eh Numbuh 75? Oh, that's right, you're not an operative anymore," the boy laughed.

"Chad…" the Russian glared with intense rage at the teen double-crosser, and then lunged at him with his gun pointed at the blonde.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you…" Chad stopped his former senior-officer by placing his hand just above a red switch at the control panel he was working. "One more step, and the kids become one of THEM," he smirked at Dmitri.

"Damn you!" he spat.

"Oh, how positively KND of you!" the blonde boy laughed. "You're weak, you know that? Weak with Compassion. It's so sad to see the once proud leader of the Berserker Unit reduced to a lowly creature such as yourself. Just give up and join us. The Kids Next Door are our enemies! We can work together to pay them back for taking the best years of our life! C'mon, Dmitri, what do ya say? Just drop your weapon and I'll convince Father and the Children to let you join us."

"Thanks for the offer, Chad," Dmitri smiled as he looked down for a moment. Then, in a lightning-quick reaction, he pointed his gun and fired 5 shots at Chad's face, all shots hitting him and sending him doubling over in pain. With no time to spare, the Russian ran over to the controls and switched the system off, causing the tube-doors to open up, and allowing the kids to flee the scene.

"You…Bastard!" Chad yelled as he pulled out a laser-gun similar to the ones the soldiers had been using and began firing at Dmitri. Unable to react in time, the commander was barraged several times before he brought his gun up again and began his counter-strike.

"Rrra-AUGH!" Mo screamed as he pummeled more football players. It had been several minutes since, Dmitri and Aki left after the soldiers, and Mo was beginning to lose power in his suit.

"Damn! Only 10 minutes left," he said to himself as he saw the sensors displayed in front of his face inside A.P.E. . "I overestimated the battery life of this suit." Suddenly, all the players jumped the African-American in one huge tackle. But with a thunderous roar, Mo exploded his strength, launching the teenage agents of Father into walls and steps.

"Hiyah!" Aki yelled as she swiped at Cree with her katana.

"I still can't believe you're Dmitri's girlfriend," Cree said as she parried with her left arm's blade. "Aren't you a little YOUNG to be thinking about boyfriends?" she snickered.

"Shut up, you bitch!" Aki snapped as she hurled a side-kick to the armored girl's stomach. "I'm only a year younger than you. I can do anything you can do, but better!" she called out as she used the moment of Cree falling back from the kick to cut through her armored shoulder and arm, tearing the metal like wet paper, yet leaving the flesh unscathed.

"My armor! You…!" Cree began as she looked up and saw a sword tip press lightly against her throat.

"You lose," the Japanese red-head said calmly.

"Not quite!" the older girl said as she pulled out two smoke pellets and smashed them into the ground, enveloping Aki and her in a cloud of opaque gray. As the smoke cleared, the redhead looked about but found no trace of her opponent. She looked over at Mo, only to see that the football players were retreating too. All around the base, the floor and walls shook violently.

"Aki!" Mo yelled as he ran over to his teammate shielded her from falling parts of the ceiling. "I think Father's aborting this project. We gotta get out now!"

"Right! Go help the operatives out of here, I'll go get Dmitri," she told Mo as she ran up the coliseum's steps to find her lover. Trudging out of a dark room in front of her was a battle-scarred Dmitri Kalashnikov, his uniform torn in some areas and his skin burned and bruised in some places too. "Dmitri!" Aki cried as she ran up to her commander and embraced him.

"Aki…Where's Nigel and the others?" he asked wearily as he tried to keep balance.

"They're fine, Mo's taking them out of here right now. We'd better go too," she said as she held Dmitri's right side up and walked him to their ship. After placing her commander in a seat, Aki closed the door and set the ship to rise above the structure through the hole in the ceiling.

"For helping us thwart Father and those Delightful brats," Number 362 said as she walked up and hung medals of Honor over the heads of Dmitri, Aki, and Mo. "We of the Kids Next Door are in your debt and hereby award you this," the blonde said as she handed the trio each a rolled-up parchment. Dmitri opened up the paper and read the red lettering:

We of Kids Next Door Central Command hereby drop all charges and crimes and pardon former Kids Next Door operative Dmitri Kalashnikov from all his acts which have inconvenienced the Kids Next Door.  
-Numbuhs 362, 86, 45, and 23.

The Russian boy looked over at Aki and Mo's papers to see that they said the same thing.

"Thank you so much," Aki bowed to 362 and then to the audience in her cleaned up and repaired ninja attire she had worn to the ceremony.

"It's an honor," Mo shook hands with the leader of the Kids Next Door in his Congo soldier BDU.

"I'm so very happy to be on good terms with the KND once again," Dmitri smiled while in his urban camo uniform. About ten seconds later, the entire audience roared with applause to praise the first group of teenagers in Kids Next Door history. Shortly after the ceremony was over, the operatives and the teens all adjourned to the mess hall for cake, soda, chips, ice cream, and all other junk food available.

Dmitri and his friends conversed with many of the hard-notch soldiers of the KND as well as with the high-ranking members of Global Command. Their conversations ranged from apologies to even a chance for the trio to help train future operatives at the Antarctica base or even there at the Moon Base. However, Dmitri, Aki, and Mo declined the offer graciously. After a while, the three split up to have some fun playing games at the party, and sharing war-stories with the more experienced kids.

Dmitri finally caught up with Nigel Uno and spoke with him privately.

"Look, Dmitri, about what happened in the jungle," he began.

"You know vhat ve called people like you in the old country?" the Russian said.

"Uh…what?"

"Comrades. I think I'm right in believing that you still vant to join up with Aki, Mo, and me vhen you hit puberty, right?"

"Um…Well," Number One whispered. "Between you and me…I wouldn't mind doing that at all," he smiled.

"Good, shall ve bust you out of here just before you and your friends are decommissioned?"

"Unless I change my mind in the future, sure," Nigel laughed, and soon Dmitri accompanied him. "So, should we need any major assistance, I'll know who to call, right?"

"Da. The Kalashnikovs, Jacksons, and Miramotos are alvays villing to help."

A few hours after the party at the Moon Base, the teens left the premises in their ship and everything quieted down with the Kids Next Door for several weeks. Nigel and his team never really needed to call for Dmitri and his gang, but they always stayed in touch every once in a while. However, a rumor broke out that Dmitri and his team had destroyed a KND satellite which was monitoring the teens' communications with Nigel and his friends. After that, a strike force was initialized to hunt down Dmitri and his friends.

"Are you sure this is the Kalashnikov residence?" one of the operatives asked as they crept inside the condo.

"Absolutely. Now, where is the-"

Suddenly, the lights went on and the five-kid team all froze in terror as an old man in his late eighties/early nineties glared at them.

"Vhat are you kids doing here!" he yelled at them. "Are you thieves?"

"Where's your son Dmitri? We're after him!" the kids' squad leader retorted.

"Son? I have no son named Dmitri! Now get out before I make you!" he yelled as he ran into his room and grabbed an AK-47.

"Nice try, but our suits are BB-proof. You can't frighten us, mister!" the kids all beamed.

"Vell then, I hope for your sakes they're BULLET-proof, because this is a REAL AK!" he yelled as he fired at the children with live ammunition.

"Run! Retreat!" the kids cried as they left the house at lightning-speed.

"Lousy children…" Mikhail Kalashnikov sighed as he put away his creation and went back to bed. After the kids were half a mile away from the house, they called their headquarters.

"This is Numbuh 497. Either we got the wrong Kalashnikov residence, or we've been duped," the leader of the troupe reported over the transmitter.

(Understood. We've received similar reports from the units after the other two teenagers.)

"Do you think they've figured out that Miramoto, Kalashnikov, and Jackson weren't our last names at all?" Aki asked as she gazed out at the ocean from the cruise boat she was on.

"Probably," a male voice spoke in an American accent. "I wish I can find out when they realize I don't really speak with an accent," Dmitri laughed as he put his arm around his girlfriend. The two gazed out at the sun setting in the Atlantic Ocean, until they faced each other face to face.

"You know what I love most about you?" Aki smiled.

"What?"

"I think what I love the most about you is your cunning. You're one hell of a slick guy when it comes to getting out of tight jams. I find that VERY sexy about you…"

"I like how loyal and trustable you are, yet you're still a spunky girl…" the Russian said as he drew Aki into a deep kiss. Time seemed to stand still for the two as they embraced each other for uncounted moments.

"Hey, are you two just gonna make-out, or are we gonna hit the concert room with everyone else?" Mo called out from a little ways away to the couple as he walked out of the ship's interior.

"Ready to have some NORMAL fun, Commander?" Aki giggled as she held hands with her lover.

"Da. Let's laugh and grow fat," he smiled as he and his Japanese girlfriend ran to Mo and followed him to a night they would never forget.

The End.

Author's Notes:  
Wow! This fic took me quite a while to write. Out of all the series I've tried to write, this is the first one I've managed to finish completely. I had a lot of fun writing this because I wanted to show a more combat-related side to fighting the adults, plus I wanted to make a group of teenagers who were different than all those jerks and losers you see on KND. As some may have noticed, I used a few Metal Gear Solid 1, 2, and 3 quotes throughout the story. "Laugh and grow fat," was Fatman's catch-phrase in MGS2. I felt it was just perfect for the way Dmitri wanted to live for just this night, if not the rest of his and his friends' lives. I hope I made at least someone's day with the writing and completion of this fic, but I'm not trying to say that "Hey, I'm the best fucking writer! Mwa-hahahaha!" or anything like that. I've been writing for about 5 years now, and this is only a sample of what I'm capable of. I just wanted to make a fic that would impress a few people, nothing more. So, anyway, hope you've enjoyed this little work of Crash Ichimonji. Later, ya'll! lml - (l337 for the 'Rock on' hand-signal.)


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